1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices that function to increase the efficiency of the fuel burned within an internal combustion engine. Specifically, the present invention is a device that is designed to introduce an electrical gap in the path from the distributor cap to the spark plug. This gap is air filled. It is surrounded on either side by two planar conductive surfaces. Effectively, the gap in the wires leading to the spark plug operates as a capacitor. As a result, the gap functions to increase the overall voltage applied to the spark plug. The increased spark applied to the spark plug increases the magnitude of the voltage of the spark within the combustion chamber. Thus, the spark plug produces a hotter spark that causes the fuel in the cylinder to burn more completely and efficiently.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art in this area is very well defined. Many inventors have developed means to introduce a variable gap in the electrical path between the spark source and the spark plug. The following references are described in relation to the present invention. A discussion follows to point out the differences that exist between the prior art and the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 968,950 issued to E. P. Jahn on Aug. 30, 1910 discloses an apparatus that introduces a gap between the spark source and the spark plug. The device connects directly to the spark plug of an internal combustion engine. The apparatus is essentially a hollow cylindrical structure to which are connected the electrical leads. Metallic pins extend from the electrical connections to the interior of the gap apparatus. The spark is intended to jump from one pin to the other once a sufficient charge has developed. The Jahn apparatus is designed to improve the functioning of an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,164,082 issued to J. E. Gallant on Dec. 14, 1915 discloses a spark plug with an auxiliary air gap built into its structure in order to increase the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. The gap size is controlled by a threaded member. Thus, Gallant teaches that there are an infinite number of possible gap sizes that can be recognized in order to increase the burn efficiency of the internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,169,744 issued to A. F. Gillet on Jan. 25, 1916 discloses an apparatus which is engineered to produce an auxiliary air gap along the electrical path from the spark source to the spark plug. The size of the air gap of the Gillet apparatus is threadedly controlled. Two screws penetrate a cylindrical chamber. Their pointed ends are disposed adjacent at one another without touching. The spark is intended to jump from one screw point to the other. The Gillet apparatus incorporates a means of attachment to a spark plug wherein the angle between the apparatus and the spark plug can be controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,240,721 issued to F. F. Hultgreen on Sept. 18, 1917 discloses an apparatus similar to that of Gillet. However, the attachment of the apparatus to the spark plug differs from that taught by Gillet. The intended result is the same, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,406,858 issued to G. W. Herricks on Feb. 14, 1922 discloses a spark gap apparatus of a different nature than those previously mentioned. In the Herricks apparatus, the contacts forming the gap are differently shaped than the prior art of the day. Here, Herricks incorporates both a point contact and a dish shaped contact to increase the efficiency of spark propagation. Moreover, the chamber in which the electrodes are located is a partial vacuum. The vacuum reduces the oxidation and degradation of the electrodes during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,938 issued to G. D. Crawford on Jan. 2, 1940 discloses a simplified method of incorporating an electrical gap between the spark source and the spark plug of an internal combustion engine. The apparatus is simply a piece of material which separates the contact which is normally attached to the spark plug and the spark plug itself. Thus, the Crawford patent is a very simple modification of the aforementioned prior art.
The present invention offers a novel approach to this problem as well. The present invention is a ceramic housing into which have been placed two metallic leads. The leads or electrodes are separated by a gap filled with air. The present invention can be placed at any point along the electrical path between the spark source and the spark plug. Normally, this will mean that the apparatus will be placed at some point along the path from the distributor cap to the spark plug.
The present invention, therefore, offers a versatility that the prior art does not disclose. It can be attached at any point along the electrical path. This is particularly important in the area of car manufacture. The spark gap apparatuses of the present invention could be centrally located at an easily accessible area within the engine compartment of a car or the like. Thus, when the owner would need to change the spark gap apparatuses, they could all be found in the same location and could be easily replaced.
A second feature of the present invention of particular distinction is the addition of a finite adjustment means to the spark gap apparatus. The concept of a finite adjustment is fairly easy to comprehend. Instead of having an infinite number of possibilities for gap size, as in the Gallant '082 design for example, there are only a finite number in the present invention. The present invention, therefore, offers a reproducible reliability that the prior art does not recognize. The finite number of gap sizes make it possible for the manufacturer of cars to recommend a particular gap size in the car's specification. Thus, each car owner who chooses to utilize the present invention need not experiment until he finds the appropriate gap size. The manufacturer of the car or perhaps the gap apparatus itself can recommend the optimum gap setting.
The present invention offers a third advantage over the prior art. The gap apparatuses can be assembled into a group or gap manifold. The gap manifold can then be installed as a unit in the automobile. Should the owner of the auto wish to replace the old gap apparatuses, he need not find each one individually and replace them as such. The owner need only replace the whole gap manifold as a unit. As a result, time and effort are both saved.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, it is foreseen that a computer could be connected to the spark gap apparatus to control the size of the gap. Thus, the computer would regulate the operation of the car automatically. Since control over the gap size does relate to the efficiency and power of the vehicle, the computer would optimize the operation of the engine. The driver may alternately be provided with a control panel on his dash to regulate the gap size manually. In this way, the driver would have complete control over the operation of his vehicle.